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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1250 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 140 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Edward J. Kennedy |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act concerning food insecurity and supporting the restaurant industry. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Edward J. KennedyFirst Middlesex 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1250 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 140 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Kennedy, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 140) of Edward J. Kennedy for |
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| 19 | 19 | | legislation relative to food insecurity and supporting the restaurant industry. Children, Families |
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| 20 | 20 | | and Persons with Disabilities. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 98 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act concerning food insecurity and supporting the restaurant industry. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Chapter 18 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 39 the |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2following section:- |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 Section 40. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4 (a) The Department of Transitional Assistance shall establish a Restaurant Meals |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5Program as part of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under the |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6Restaurant Meals Program, households containing elderly or disabled members, and their |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7spouses, as defined in 7 U.S.C. 2012(j), or homeless individuals, as defined in 7 U.S.C. 2012(l), |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8shall have the option in accordance with 7 U.S.C. 2012(k) to redeem their SNAP benefits at 2 of 2 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9private establishments that contract with the Department to offer meals for eligible individuals at |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10concessional prices subject to 7 U.S.C. 2018(h). |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11 (b) The Department of Transitional Assistance shall adopt any rules necessary to |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12implement the provisions of this Section. |
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